diff --git a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
index 7fc14b90886e..03516c80855a 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.c
@@ -339,6 +339,19 @@ static void ff_layout_sort_mirrors(struct nfs4_ff_layout_segment *fls)
 	}
 }
 
+static void ff_layout_mark_devices_valid(struct nfs4_ff_layout_segment *fls)
+{
+	struct nfs4_deviceid_node *node;
+	int i;
+
+	if (!(fls->flags & FF_FLAGS_NO_IO_THRU_MDS))
+		return;
+	for (i = 0; i < fls->mirror_array_cnt; i++) {
+		node = &fls->mirror_array[i]->mirror_ds->id_node;
+		clear_bit(NFS_DEVICEID_UNAVAILABLE, &node->flags);
+	}
+}
+
 static struct pnfs_layout_segment *
 ff_layout_alloc_lseg(struct pnfs_layout_hdr *lh,
 		     struct nfs4_layoutget_res *lgr,
@@ -499,6 +512,7 @@ ff_layout_alloc_lseg(struct pnfs_layout_hdr *lh,
 	rc = ff_layout_check_layout(lgr);
 	if (rc)
 		goto out_err_free;
+	ff_layout_mark_devices_valid(fls);
 
 	ret = &fls->generic_hdr;
 	dprintk("<-- %s (success)\n", __func__);
@@ -1035,7 +1049,8 @@ static int ff_layout_async_handle_error_v4(struct rpc_task *task,
 		rpc_wake_up(&tbl->slot_tbl_waitq);
 		/* fall through */
 	default:
-		if (ff_layout_has_available_ds(lseg))
+		if (ff_layout_no_fallback_to_mds(lseg) ||
+		    ff_layout_has_available_ds(lseg))
 			return -NFS4ERR_RESET_TO_PNFS;
 reset:
 		dprintk("%s Retry through MDS. Error %d\n", __func__,
@@ -1153,7 +1168,6 @@ static void ff_layout_io_track_ds_error(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg,
 }
 
 /* NFS_PROTO call done callback routines */
-
 static int ff_layout_read_done_cb(struct rpc_task *task,
 				struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr)
 {
diff --git a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.h b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.h
index 68cc0d9828f9..2bb08bc6aaf0 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayout.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define FS_NFS_NFS4FLEXFILELAYOUT_H
 
 #define FF_FLAGS_NO_LAYOUTCOMMIT 1
+#define FF_FLAGS_NO_IO_THRU_MDS 2
 
 #include "../pnfs.h"
 
@@ -145,6 +146,12 @@ FF_LAYOUT_MIRROR_COUNT(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg)
 	return FF_LAYOUT_LSEG(lseg)->mirror_array_cnt;
 }
 
+static inline bool
+ff_layout_no_fallback_to_mds(struct pnfs_layout_segment *lseg)
+{
+	return FF_LAYOUT_LSEG(lseg)->flags & FF_FLAGS_NO_IO_THRU_MDS;
+}
+
 static inline bool
 ff_layout_test_devid_unavailable(struct nfs4_deviceid_node *node)
 {